Obama Camp: We Did Nothing Wrong -- and We'll Prove it Next Week

December 16, 2008

By LINDSEY ELLERSON

ABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: The Obama transition team announced Monday that the internal review of contacts with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office is complete, and that it bears out President-elect Barack Obama’s contention that no “inappropriate discussions” took place.

"At the direction of the President-elect, a review of Transition staff contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his office has been conducted and completed and is ready for release. That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect's staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator.

"Also at the President-elect's direction, Gregory [Craig], counsel to the Transition, has kept the US Attorney's office informed of this fact-gathering process in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation.

"In the course of those discussions, the US Attorney's office requested the public release of the Transition review be deferred until the week of December 22, in order not to impede their investigation of the governor. The Transition has agreed to this revised timetable for release."

UPDATE: After the Obama team put out its statement, US Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald issued a response confirming that the release of the report be put off: “After the President-elect announced an internal transition team investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office requested a brief delay of the release of a report of that investigation to conduct certain interviews.”